The present invention relates to a novel polyether compound, an active hydrogen component comprising the polyether, a resin-forming composition employing the polyether or the active hydrogen component, a method for producing a foam (particularly, polyurethane foam) employing the polyether or the active hydrogen component, and a method for producing the active hydrogen component and the foam, employing a polyether having a higher primary hydroxyl content of terminal hydroxyl groups. More specifically, it relates to a polyether having a higher primary hydroxyl content of terminal hydroxyl groups, and to the use of the same.
 less than Polyether and Resin Composition greater than 
Polyethers such as polyoxyalkylene polyols, which are obtained by a ring-opening reaction of monoepoxides such as alkylene oxides (hereinafter abbreviated as AO) with active hydrogen compounds, are widely used as resin materials for polyurethane, polyester, etc., surfactants, lubricants, and for other various purposes. Particularly, the use of various kinds of polyether compounds has been considered conventionally for a purpose of applying flexibility, softness, low-temperature rubber-like elasticity, and other characteristics to aromatic polyester resins, unsaturated polyester resins, thermoplastic polyester elastomers, thermosetting urethane resins, thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers, and acrylic resins. It has been known that, as the polyether compounds, polyether compounds having side chains, such as propylene oxide (hereinafter abbreviated as PO) adducts of glycerin or polypropylene glycol, for instance, are highly effective, and generally, they are obtained by ring-opening addition polymerization of PO with hydroxyl-group-containing compounds such as glycerin or propylene glycol in the presence of alkaline catalysts.
However, in the case where ring-opening-polymerization products made of only PO by the foregoing method are used, most of the hydroxyl groups at terminals are secondary hydroxyl groups, and normally, primary hydroxyl groups are present at only less than 5% of the terminals. This results in an excessively low reactivity of polyether compounds, and it takes a significantly long time to obtain a reaction ratio that allows inherent properties to be exhibited, which is not practical. To solve such a problem, polyethers in which a primary hydroxyl content of terminal hydroxyl groups is increased often are used, which are obtained by the foregoing ring-opening addition polymerization of PO followed by ring-opening addition polymerization of ethylene oxide (hereinafter abbreviated as EO).
However, such polyethers obtained by addition polymerization of much EO at terminals have increased hydrophilicity, and therefore, cured resins employing these, which are used in moldings, adhesives, paints, films, etc., exhibit undesirable properties such as increasing of water-absorbing properties, impairment of waterproofness, etc. As a result, they are used only for limited purposes.
Therefore, in light of the aforementioned situations, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide polyether compounds suitable as polyol components having sufficient reactivity as materials for forming resins without impairing the hydrophobicity of polyethers, and to provide resins obtained from the polyether compounds.
 less than Rigid Polyurethane Foam greater than 
Conventionally, rigid polyurethane foams have been used widely as heat insulation materials used in the fields of civil engineering, transport vehicles, household electrical appliances, etc. Recently, for improving the productivity, polyols having an increased primary hydroxyl content for an increased reactivity with isocyanate are used. Normally, terminal-EO adducts of AO adducts are used as the polyols having an increased primary hydroxyl content, but rigid polyurethane foams obtained by using terminal-EO adducts of AO adducts in which EOs are added to terminals in an ordinary manner are excellent in hardenability, but have drawbacks in that they swell when released from molds, and that they are inferior in foam strength.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a rigid polyurethane foam with an excellent hardenability, a minimum degree of swelling when released from a mold, and an increased foam strength.
 less than Semi-Rigid Polyurethane Foam greater than 
Conventionally, semi-rigid polyurethane foams have been widely used as a shock absorbing material or a cushioning material of interiors of cars. Recently, for improving the productivity, polyols having an increased primary hydroxyl content for an increased reactivity with isocyanate are used. Normally, terminal-EO adducts of AO adducts are used as the polyols having an increased primary hydroxyl content, but semi-rigid polyurethane foams obtained by using terminal-EO adducts of AO adducts in which EOs are added to terminals in an ordinary manner are excellent in hardenability, but have drawbacks in that they swell, or in contrast, shrink significantly, when released from molds.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a semi-rigid polyurethane foam with an excellent hardenability and a minimum degree of swelling or shrinkage when released from a mold.
 less than Flexible Polyurethane Foam greater than 
Conventionally, as polyether polyols used in the production of flexible polyurethane foams, polypropylene polyols are used to whose terminals EOs are added so as to increase a primary hydroxyl content of terminal hydroxyl groups, from the viewpoint of the reactivity with isocyanate used. The conventional methods have had a drawback in that the obtained foam has EO units, which are hydrophilic groups, thereby having an inferior moisture resistance.
Further, as a urethane foam produced using such a polyether polyol, only a urethane foam having a non-uniform density is obtained in which the density at a skin portion of the urethane foam is greater than the density at a core portion. Therefore, the properties of the urethane foam have to be adjusted according to the properties at a portion with a lower density, that is, the properties of the core portion, and consequently, the urethane foam as a whole is designed to have a relatively great foam density.
Accordingly, still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a flexible polyurethane foam having a uniform density without the deterioration of a moisture resistance.
 less than Flexible Polyurethane Slab Foam greater than 
Conventionally, as a method for producing a flexible polyurethane slab foam, a method in which a polyether polyol is reacted with an organic polyisocyanate in the presence of a foaming agent, a catalyst, a foam stabilizer, etc. has been known widely. However, in the conventional method, it has been necessary to use organic heavy-metal catalysts in large quantity, which is expensive and could adversely affect the environment, in order to stabilize cells of a polyurethane slab foam when foamed.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a flexible polyurethane slab foam that is excellent in foaming stability and is producible without using organic heavy-metal catalysts in large quantity.
The inventors of the present invention made earnest studies to solve the above-described problems, and consequently found that any polyether of the first through third inventions described below has a sufficient reactivity while having decreased moles of added EO as a polyol component of a resin, thereby maintaining the hydrophobicity. Thus, the inventors have reached the present invention. Furthermore, they invented active hydrogen components comprising the foregoing polyethers and resin-forming compositions using the foregoing polyethers, methods for producing foams employing the foregoing active hydrogen components, and methods for producing active hydrogen components and foams employing polyethers relevant to the foregoing polyethers, which are the fourth through eighteenth inventions.
[Invention Relating to Polyether]
 less than First Invention greater than 
A polyether polyol is obtained by random and/or block addition of an alkylene oxide to an active hydrogen compound, the alkylene oxide including a 1,2-alkylene oxide having not less than three carbon atoms as a principal constituent and also including ethylene oxide, wherein,
a mean number x of moles of the added ethylene oxide per one active hydrogen atom is not more than 20,
a primary hydroxyl content y of terminal hydroxyl groups is not less than 40%, and
x and y satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (1) shown below when x is 10 to 20, and satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (2) shown below when x is not more than 10:
xe2x80x83yxe2x89xa70.328x+90.44xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
yxe2x89xa742x0.47(1xe2x88x92x/41)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
 less than Second Invention greater than 
A monohydroxy or polyhydroxy polyether is obtained by adding an ethylene oxide to terminal hydroxyl groups of a polyoxyalkylene polyol or monool (j) and satisfies requirements (i) to (iii) shown below, wherein
the polyoxyalkylene polyol or monool (j) is expressed by a formula (4) shown below, and
not less than 40% (not less than 60% in the case of a monool) of xe2x80x94AOxe2x80x94H groups of the polyoxyalkylene polyol or monool (j), as hydroxyl-group-containing groups positioned at terminals, are primary-hydroxyl-group-containing groups expressed by a formula (5) shown below:
(i) a mean number x of moles of the added ethylene oxide per one hydroxyl group is not more than 20;
(ii) a primary hydroxyl content y of terminal hydroxyl groups is not less than 60% in the case of a monohydroxy polyether, and not less than 40% in the case of a polyhydroxy polyether;
(iii) xxe2x89xa65.5xc3x97zxe2x88x926.5xc3x97Ln(z)xe2x88x926.46xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
where z represents 1.03xe2x88x92y/100; Ln(z) represents a natural logarithm of z, 
where, in (4)
R1 represents a m-valent group, which is obtained by removing active hydrogen from water, an alcohol compound, a phenol compound, an amine compound, a carboxylic acid compound, a thiol compound, or a phosphoric acid compound,
Z represents an alkylene group or a cycloalkylene group having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, which may be substituted with a halogen atom or an aryl group,
A represents an alkylene group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, which may be substituted with a halogen atom or an aryl group,
m represents a number of 1 or 2 to 100,
p represents a number of 0 or not less than 1
q represents a number of not less than 1 in average, and
p+q is 1 to 200 in average, and, in (5)
R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, which may be substituted with a halogen atom.
 less than Third Invention greater than 
A polyether polyol is obtained by random and/or block addition of an alkylene oxide to an active hydrogen compound, the alkylene oxide including 1,2-alkylene oxides having not less than three carbon atoms as a principal constituent and also including an ethylene oxide, wherein
a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) and a primary hydroxyl content (%) of terminal hydroxyl groups of the polyether polyol satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (6) shown below:
(HLB)xe2x89xa60.1xc3x97(primary hydroxyl content)xe2x88x922xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(6)
[Invention Relating to Active Hydrogen Component]
 less than Fourth Invention greater than 
An active hydrogen component is provided for production of a rigid polyurethane foam, the active hydrogen component comprising a polyether polyol (a1), the polyether polyol (a1) comprising a polyether polyol obtained by further adding an ethylene oxide to a polyether polyol that is obtained by adding a 1,2-alkylene oxide having not less than three carbon atoms to a polyhydric alcohol so that not less than 1 mole of the 1,2-alkylene oxide is added per one primary hydroxyl group, wherein, in the polyether polyol (a1),
a hydroxyl value is not less than 200,
a mean number x of moles of the added ethylene oxide per one active hydrogen atom is not more than 2,
a primary hydroxyl content y is not less than 20%, and
x and y satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (2) shown below:
yxe2x89xa742x0.47(1xe2x88x92x/41)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
 less than Fifth Invention greater than 
An active hydrogen component is provided for production of a rigid polyurethane foam, the active hydrogen component comprising an active hydrogen compound (b) and a polyether polyol (a), wherein
the active hydrogen compound (b) is obtained by adding an alkylene oxide having not less than 2 carbon atoms to an amine and that has a value of an active hydrogen containing group of not less than 200, and
the polyether polyol (a) comprises a polyether polyol that is obtained by adding a 1,2-alkylene oxide having not less than three carbon atoms to a polyhydric alcohol so that not less than 1 mole of the 1,2-alkylene oxide is added per one mole of primary hydroxyl groups, and/or a polyether polyol that is obtained by further adding an ethylene oxide to said polyether polyol, wherein, in the polyether polyol (a),
a hydroxyl value is not less than 200,
a mean number x of moles of the added ethylene oxide per one active hydrogen atom is not more than 2,
a primary hydroxyl content y is not less than 20%, and
x and y satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (2) shown below:
yxe2x89xa742x0.47(1xe2x88x92x/41)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
 less than Sixth Invention greater than 
An active hydrogen component is provided for production of a semi-rigid polyurethane foam, the active hydrogen component comprising a polyether polyol (c1) that is obtained by random and/or block addition of an alkylene oxide that includes a 1,2-alkylene oxide having not less than three carbon atoms as a principal constituent and also includes ethylene oxide, wherein, in the polyether polyol (c1),
a mean number x of moles of the added ethylene oxide per one active hydrogen atom is not more than 20,
a primary hydroxyl content y is not less than 40%, and
x and y satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (1) shown below when x is 10 to 20, and satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (2) shown below when x is not more than 10:
yxe2x89xa70.328x+90.44xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
yxe2x89xa742x0.47(1xe2x88x92x/41)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
 less than Seventh Invention greater than 
An active hydrogen component is provided for production of a semi-rigid polyurethane foam, the active hydrogen component comprising a polyether polyol (c) and an active hydrogen compound (d), wherein
the active hydrogen compound (d) has a value of active hydrogen containing groups of not less than 250, and
the polyether polyol (c) is obtained by addition of an alkylene oxide that includes a 1,2-alkylene oxide having not less than three carbon atoms as a principal constituent, wherein, in the polyether polyol (c),
a hydroxyl value is 10 to 200,
a mean number x of moles of an added ethylene oxide per one active hydrogen atom is not more than 20,
a primary hydroxyl content y is not less than 40%, and
x and y satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (1) shown below when x is 10 to 20, and satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (2) shown below when x is not more than 10:
yxe2x89xa70.328x+90.44xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
yxe2x89xa742x0.47(1xe2x88x92x/41)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
[Invention Relating to Resin-Forming Composition]
 less than Eighth Invention greater than 
A resin-forming composition comprises a monohydroxy or polyhydroxy polyether (K), a compound (L) reactive with a hydroxyl group, and according to necessity, another component (M) reactive with (K) and/or (L),
wherein the monohydroxy or polyhydroxy polyether (K) is obtained by adding an ethylene oxide to terminal hydroxyl groups of a polyoxyalkylene polyol or monool (j), and satisfies requirements (i) to (iii) shown below,
wherein
the polyoxyalkylene polyol or monool (j) is expressed by a formula (4) shown below, and
not less than 40% (not less than 60% in the case of a monool) of xe2x80x94Axe2x80x94OH groups of the polyoxyalkylene polyol or monool (j), as hydroxyl-group-containing groups positioned at terminals, are primary-hydroxyl-group-containing groups expressed by a formula (5) shown below:
(i) a mean number x of moles of the added ethylene oxide per one hydroxyl group is not more than 20;
(ii) a primary hydroxyl content y of terminal hydroxyl groups is not less than 60% in the case of a monohydroxy polyether, and not less than 40% in the case of a polyhydroxy polyether;
(iii) xxe2x89xa65.5xc3x97zxe2x88x926.5xc3x97Ln(z)xe2x88x926.46xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(3)
where z represents 1.03xe2x88x92y/100; Ln(z) represents a natural logarithm of z, 
where, in (4)
R1 represents a m-valent group, which is obtained by removing active hydrogen from water, an alcohol compound, a phenol compound, an amine compound, a carboxylic acid compound, a thiol compound, or a phosphoric acid compound,
Z represents an alkylene group or a cycloalkylene group having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, which may be substituted with a halogen atom or an aryl group,
A represents an alkylene group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, which may be substituted with a halogen atom or an aryl group,
m represents a number of 1 or 2 to 100,
p represents a number of 0 or not less than 1
q represents a number of not less than 1 in average, and
p+q is 1 to 200 in average, and, in (5)
R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, which may be substituted with a halogen atom.
[Invention Relating to Production of Foam]
 less than Ninth Invention greater than 
A method for producing a rigid polyurethane foam comprises the step of adding an active hydrogen compound (A), an organic polyisocyanate (B), a foaming agent (C), a urethanation catalyst (D), and, according to necessity, an additive (E), so as to be foamed and cured, wherein (A) comprises the active hydrogen component of the fourth invention.
 less than Tenth Invention greater than 
A method for producing a rigid polyurethane foam comprises the step of adding an active hydrogen compound (A), an organic polyisocyanate (B), a foaming agent (C), a urethanation catalyst (D), and, according to necessity, an additive (E), so as to be foamed and cured, wherein (A) comprises the active hydrogen component of the fifth invention.
 less than Eleventh Invention greater than 
A method for producing a semi-rigid polyurethane foam comprises the step of adding an active hydrogen compound (A), an organic polyisocyanate (B), a foaming agent (C), a urethanation catalyst (D), and, according to necessity, an additive (E), so as to be foamed and cured, wherein (A) comprises the active hydrogen component of the sixth invention.
 less than Twelfth Invention greater than 
A method for producing a semi-rigid polyurethane foam comprises the step of adding an active hydrogen compound (A), an organic polyisocyanate (B), a foaming agent (C), a urethanation catalyst (D), and, according to necessity, an additive (E), so as to be foamed and cured, wherein (A) comprises the active hydrogen component of the seventh invention.
 less than Thirteenth Invention greater than 
A method for producing a flexible polyurethane foam comprises the step of reacting an active hydrogen compound comprising a polyol (A1) with an organic polyisocyanate (B) in the presence of a foaming agent (C1) comprising water, a urethanation catalyst (D), and a foam stabilizer (E1), wherein a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of a polyether polyol contained in (A1) and a primary hydroxyl content (%) of terminal hydroxyl groups of the polyether polyol contained in (A1) satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (6) shown below:
(HLB)xe2x89xa60.1xc3x97(primary hydroxyl content)xe2x88x922xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(6)
 less than Fourteenth Invention greater than 
A method for producing a flexible polyurethane foam comprises the step of reacting an active hydrogen compound comprising a polyol (A1) with an organic polyisocyanate (B) in the presence of a foaming agent (C1) comprising water, a urethanation catalyst (D), and a foam stabilizer (E1),
wherein (A1) includes a polyether polyol (c) obtained by addition of an alkylene oxide that includes a 1,2-alkylene oxide having not less than three carbon atoms as a principal constituent, wherein, in the polyether polyol (c),
a mean number x of moles of the added ethylene oxide per one active hydrogen atom is not more than 20,
a primary hydroxyl content y is not less than 40%, and
x and y satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (1) shown below when x is 10 to 20, and satisfy a relationship expressed by a formula (2) shown below when x is not more than 10:
yxe2x89xa70.328x+90.44xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
yxe2x89xa742x0.47(1xe2x88x92x/41)xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
 less than Fifteenth Invention greater than 
A method for producing a flexible polyurethane slab foam comprises the step of reacting an active hydrogen compound comprising a polyol (A1) with an organic polyisocyanate (B) in the presence of a foaming agent (C), a catalyst (D), a foam stabilizer (E1), and, according to necessity, another additive (E2), wherein
(A1) is a polyether polyol in which not less than 40% ofxe2x80x94AOxe2x80x94H groups, as hydroxyl-group-containing groups positioned at terminals, are primary-hydroxyl-group-containing groups expressed by a formula (5) shown below: 
where
A represents an alkylene group having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, which may be substituted with a halogen atom or an aryl group, and
R2 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, which may be substituted with a halogen atom.
[Invention of Foam and Use Thereof]
 less than Sixteenth Invention greater than 
A heat insulation material or structural material for use in construction materials, household electric appliances, and transport vehicles comprises the rigid polyurethane foam obtained by the producing method of the ninth or tenth invention.
 less than Seventeenth Invention greater than 
A shock absorbing material or cushioning material used for interiors of cars comprises the semi-rigid polyurethane foam obtained by the producing method of the eleventh or twelfth invention.
 less than Eighteenth Invention greater than 
A flexible polyurethane foam is obtained by the producing method of the thirteenth or fourteenth invention, the polyurethane foam having a core density of 20 to 33 kg/m3, and a wet heat compression set of not more than 15%.